Housing associations have recently been discussing how their services should not just focus on housing those in need, but also helping them in everyday life in order to improve their lifestyles in general for both now and in the future. One housing association, Coastline Housing, has recently discussed how working with medical researchers could actually improve the lives of many tenants, and even reduce the amount of pressure on the National Health Service.
In an article for The Guardian, head of technical services at Coastline Housing, Mark England said: “Demonstrating the link between housing and health has become an important part of our work in recent years, not least because of the major changes taking place in the management of public health and the structure of our NHS.” He goes on to say that “The localisation of clinical commissioning and the increased responsibility on local authorities to integrate several in England presents both tough challenges and unique opportunities for social landlords.”
Even private rented landlords are now taking more of an interest in their tenants’ lives, especially as the recession has meant that the likelihood of many falling into rental arrears has increased. Whilst many landlords have protected themselves against this with landlord insurance, it has been advised for landlords to try and spend more time discussing problems with their tenants in order to safeguard themselves against any difficulties the economic climate can cause.
Mr England says that is also important for all landlords to understand that the upkeep of their buildings can directly influence the health of those that live in them. He said: “According to research, we spend 90% of our time indoors and 65% of that time is spent at home; it’s vital that the houses we provide are built to high standards that will aid or improve quality of life.” Mr England suggested making sure that properties are well ventilated, and that the heating and insulation are well maintained in order to prevent health conditions such as eczema and asthma.
Mr England finishes his article by saying: “By thinking about preventative healthcare and our tenants’ lives, we are making a positive change to the way we build homes and, alleviating pressure on NHS budgets for the future. More importantly, healthier tenants are happier residents. The health and wellbeing of our tenants is something we take very seriously, and we would encourage all housing associations to do the same.”